was under the scrawl. My heart thudded in my chest, and I felt the world narrow down to those two names.

Dylan. James.

Fuck.

No, there was no way I could sign that contract now. The fantasies crumbled, and the joy that had filled me up vanished in an instant. My brother’s nemesis.

My family’s nemesis. I’d been sleeping with the enemy, quite literally.

I stared at the contract, everything suddenly changed. My hands shook as I put it down and pushed myself into the edge of the sofa. I needed comfort, and there was no one here who could do it. I could call Roxie, talk to her, but what would that solve? Jesse was always busy with being a wife and mother now; I couldn’t call her either. Besides, I’d have to admit what I’d been doing to her, and right now, I didn’t want to do that.

The very thing I’d wanted most, that had been just within my reach, was now totally out of my hands. I couldn’t go through with it, after all. It would be a betrayal of my family. If they ever found out, they’d never forgive me. It would be the end of our relationship. And Trent had said Dylan had killed his parents. I dismissed that as a bold-faced lie, right away. The man I knew would never do something like that.

Sure, he’d consider chaining me down to a table and torturing me with pleasure, but he wasn’t a killer. I’d caught the tail-end of that fight last night but had left it unmentioned in the excitement of our reunion. Mr. Dark, Dylan, was a protector, not a killer. I couldn’t believe that for a minute.

I’d heard Trent complain about him a few times now that I’d thought about

it. He’d come to Myrtle Beach looking for property, a resort to grow his family’s business. That wasn’t so wrong, was it? My thoughts started to turn. Just because Trent wanted to play a game of ‘whose dick is bigger’ didn’t mean I’d have to give this up. Did it?

I pulled my legs up close and wrapped my arms around them as I thought about it. If I kept my identity secret, kept up the fake name and made sure he didn’t find out who I was, he’d never know, would he? He didn’t have to know I was a Thompson, at all. Ever.

Maybe I could make this work. It would mean an amendment to the contract, or maybe a verbal agreement, but he’d have to agree to never seek me out once this was all done and over with. And he’d only be able to take me places I knew people wouldn’t know me. That wasn’t too hard around here; I’d rarely gone out here, but people did know me from my charity work.

Shit. What about that? God, this was all stupid!

I was a grown woman. I should be able to do as I please. But family was important to me, even if I was angry at them all right now. This would shame our family if it got out, and I’d have to work really hard to make sure it was never known. But if we went out in public, then there was a possibility that would happen.

I could already picture the disappointment on their faces, the shock, and maybe the disgust. Was it worth it?

I remembered the way he touched me, the exquisite sensation of his hand against my ass as he worked those pumps on me, and I heard myself moan. It was worth it, oh, it was worth it.

I bit my lip and played through every moment I could think of. How he’d made me feel powerful and helpless at the same time. How he’d given me pleasure that far surpassed anything I could have imagined. The way his face softened when he came and how much he wanted to fuck me.

But could I? Could I look him in the eye knowing my brother wanted to keep

him from gaining a foothold in Myrtle Beach? That it was my family who had

nearly driven him mad over the last few weeks as he tried to find property and was turned away at every point? It was my family that had done that.

Would he use it against me? Shit, I hadn’t thought about that. Would he even want to fuck me if he knew who I was? Or would he do it and then crow about it to get back at my family? Maybe that was why he’d changed my mind. Or was it my own self-doubt? No, there was no way he could have figured out who I was.

I picked up the contract and tapped it against my leg. He’d given me tonight to think about it. I’d planned to sign it, call Roxie, and wait for the next day impatiently. Now, the scenario had changed, reality had changed. Last night, when he’d made me come with a shuddering scream, he’d been a stranger, a man

that I couldn’t get enough of, but someone safe who didn’t threaten me in any way.

Now, he was the man that could destroy my world and tear my family apart. I had no idea what to do. I wanted him, but could I take the consequences if our affair was found out? Would my family ever forgive me? Would he if he found out who I really was? I picked up the phone. I needed to talk to someone, but there was no one to call. I had to make this decision all on my own.

Thank you for reading DARK DESIRE!

I hope you loved Emily and Dylan as much as I do. Their story continues in

DARK RULES!

Be careful what you wish for…

My birthday wish came true! I found a real man who knows what he’s doing. I should be grateful. I should be celebrating. Right? Then I discovered his real name. And I knew there was only one option — run for the hills!

He’s dangerous. He’s a killer. He’s the reckless, cavalier businessman coming to steal from my family. But damn, he makes my heart sing and my body ache for his touch. I want to be with him. But how can I? How can I sleep with the

enemy?

Download DARK RULES now!

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BACK4-DRULES

A Letter To My Readers

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